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The Mets are looking to hire a catching coach to work with their catchers every day next season, according to the Daily News. And according to the report, the Mets will finalize their coaching staff once the search is complete.
Ken Rosenthal tweeted that Mets manager Terry Collins was seen at baseball’s general manager meetings with Glenn Sherlock, who’s most recently served as the Diamondbacks’ bench coach. Assuming the Mets do, indeed, hire a coach specifically for the team’s catchers, they would presumably be hoping to get a boost in production by doing so.
In the 2016 season, Mets catchers—Travis d’Arnaud, Rene Rivera, and Kevin Plawecki—combined to hit just .227/.297/.311, well below the major league average at the position: .243/.310/.393. Of course, a catching-specific coach might not have much to do with the catchers’ production at the plate.
Behind the plate, the Mets ranked 21st in baseball at -2 Defensive Runs Saved. d’Arnaud, undoubtedly the in-house catcher with the highest offensive ceiling, had a hard time throwing out baserunners over the course of the season. Perhaps he’ll see some improvement in that regard with a fresh look from a new coach.